Red Eared Tree Frog – Information About the Red Eyed Tree Frog
Red Eyed Tree Frog: Agalychnis callidryas – also known as the red eye tree frog – is aquatic, arboreal species native to Neotropical tropical rainforests that ranges from Mexico to Colombia. It is occasionally kept in captivity. The scientific name of this red-eye tree frog, A. callidryas belongs to Greek words kalos (red) and dryes (eye). Like most frogs, it has large eyes with a reduced iris. Its color usually blends into the surrounding environment.
During the year, this frog hibernates, emerging during cooler morning hours to crawl on the forest floor, munching on leaf debris, dirt or plants. This species is seldom seen during the warmer months of the year. However, in humid areas of the Amazon rainforest, the red eye tree frog can be seen throughout the year. Sight unseen, these creatures feed on leaves and flowers of aquatic plants.
The red eye tree frog is nocturnal, as is most of its natural life cycle. However, it does enjoy a daytime meal of sunflower leaves, which it likes best in the morning. They are not very adept at moving on land, so they tend to stay near their watery nest, often congregating around a tree or rock in a seemingly endless loop. When night falls, these tree frogs get even more comfortable. They crawl along the surface of the waters, searching for insects and other small animals that might be seeking shelter.
During the summer months, the red eye tree frog’s lifestyle changes dramatically. In fact, it will only venture out of its watery retreat at dusk. During this time, it will seek out other food sources, such as mosquitoes and ants. If you have spotted this species during day time on a rainy day, you may find it in leaf piles or submerged in mud holes.
Because the red eyes of the tree-dwelling frog are highly sensitive, it is wise to never handle them directly. Their powerful, yet delicate sense of sight makes them capable of seeing fine details underwater, but not on the human body. Because of this, you should never hold a red eye tree frog in your hand, because it could easily grab your hand and shake its tail. The delicate red eyes will also easily burn your hands if you try to hold them too close. And because they are nocturnal by nature, you should never try to feed them during the night.
One of the most interesting things about the red-eyed tree frog is that they can produce sounds with their mouth. Unlike most frogs, they use their vocal cords to produce sound. However, their sounds can be quite annoying, so you should avoid touching them while they are vocalizing. Otherwise, you might just wake up the next morning with a big red nose in your pillow.
Like all living creatures, the red-eyed tree frog requires plenty of humidity and room to survive. During hot weather, it will stay cool by hanging its rear out in the sun. In wintertime, it hibernates inside its red eared tree home, so make sure to buy an artificial tree house for it to stay in. During humid or hot weather, leave the frog alone; it will shake its tail and shake its legs to stay cool.
If you plan to raise one of these wonderful and adorable frogs as a pet, you need to make sure that you have space for it to move around. It will only grow to about three feet in length, so you need a large area of lawn for it to explore. You should also set up a water container for it to drink. The red-eyed tree frog is not a good candidate for pets because it does not like to be handled. If you want to feed it regularly, try to put fresh corn on the bottom of its dish or give it some baby chickpeas. Giving live food to your red-eyed tree frog is the best way to feed it.